Although tasks within the dengue eradication framework have been strengthened with the creation of inter-agency working groups, which seek to stop possible epidemics, the health portfolio highlights that citizen collaboration is still lacking. As they explain, preventive operations cannot be carried out in a more effective way because society does not always do its part.

In this case, Dr. José Antonio Montiel Britos, general director of the National Malaria Eradication Service (Senepa), stated in a conversation with La Nación/Nación Media, that much of the reluctance is visible in reports of cleaning and fumigation. He detailed that houses that cannot be accessed are considered reluctant, either because they are uninhabited or because the owners refuse to accept workers.

“We work closely with the Directorate of Health who tell us where we need to go, but we find ourselves mainly in metropolitan and central areas with many homes reluctant to go. This meant that we arrived at the location and couldn’t get into the house, mostly because the community refused to accept the cleaning team.

We also work on weekends, so in homes where no one is there during the week, they can help us, but we also don’t see any response,” commented Montiel.

Regarding the percentage of people who were reluctant, he stated that it had reached 25%, therefore he emphasized that community assistance was very important in efforts to combat dengue fever. Although a state of emergency and alert has been declared, and there is support from various institutions, it is practically impossible to implement a prevention program without the support of homeowners.

“Prevention efforts are the most efficient way to fight disease and we still have time, because even though fumigation can be carried out, it only destroys adult mosquitoes and their remaining eggs. “And if the conditions are there, within a few days there will be lots of mosquitoes, therefore cleaning and controlling the room becomes important,” said Dr. José Montiel another time.

Águeda Caballero, general director of Health Surveillance, in contact with La Nación/Nación Media, highlighted that the Ministry of Health is monitoring and controlling areas of the country where small outbreaks of the disease are already being observed. , as do several neighborhoods in Asunción and several in the city of Encarnación.

“We are working with greater intensity in neighborhoods where we have clusters of cases, meaning there is a cluster of confirmed cases in one, two or more blocks, which are now outbreak zones, such as what is now considered to be the part where the Pettirossi and San neighborhoods Vicente de Asunción,” said Dr. Caballero.